A TEENAGE driver was killed when his car collided with a bridge over the A120 near Ardleigh.

The 19-year-old, from Colchester, was pronounced dead at the scene after his BMW left the road and collided with a bridge support.

Police have yet to formally identfy the driver but have informed his next of kin.

A 21-year-old man who was a front-seat passenger in the BMW was taken to Colchester General Hospital by ambulance with injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening.

The crash was the third fatal accident involving bridge supports in the past seven months.

In January, a couple were killed when their car crashed into bridge pillars on the same stretch of the A120 at Ardleigh.

A woman from Ipswich died when the car she was travelling in ploughed into a bridge on the A12 near Gun Hill in September last year.

Peter Rodger, chief driving examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists and a former police traffic inspector, said: “Accidents involving vehicles hitting things off the road are not uncommon but usually involve trees, not bridge pillars. There could be a common factor here but it could just be down to bad weather.”

Essex Police said yesterday’s accident saw the BMW come into slight contact with a green LDV van prior to the collision. The van driver was uninjured.

Both carriageways of the A120 were closed to allow the air ambulance to land. The crew helped with rescue efforts but were stood down after it was decided to take the injured passenger via land ambulance.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called at just after 10am to a collision on the A120 near Horsely Cross. We sent an ambulance, manager, rapid response vehicle and the Herts Air Ambulance.”

Gideon Chilton, a clinical operations manager, said the driver was in cardiac arrest at the scene, and praised a police officer for giving the patient CPR.

“We gave advanced life support but, unfortunately, despite all of our efforts there was nothing further we could do, and the patient was declared deceased at the scene.

“The other patient was in very deep shock, and our crews worked hard to ensure he was as well cared for as possible.

“The work between ourselves and the police was very good. It was a very difficult job, but well handled,” he added.

Motorists were in long delays which reached Weeley on the A133.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at the Stanway road policing unit on 0300 333 4444.